


The Truth, Lies and Mistakes

by MissMcCarthy



Series: Parallel Universes [2]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, Endgame Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin, F/F, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-02-09 23:56:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12899610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMcCarthy/pseuds/MissMcCarthy
Summary: What if Bellamy and the gang arrived two years after the Eligius mining ship? What if Clarke had joined them and made a life with them? What if they weren't monsters? What if Clarke and Bellamy end up on separate sides?The first few chapters are all Sunshine and Rainbows it feels, but it's going to get more angsty and fun, I promise





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you're reading my other AU: Mistakes, Lies, And The Truth, this is very similar. Same premise, but imagine if Gellert and his crew were actually nice people.

Clarke looked down at the camp they’d built, a smile on her face. The landing site had grown from a small ship and few outbuildings into something they’re all proud to call home. They had a dining hall, and a little pen that held some deer they’d caught a few months back. They hadn’t expected the deer to be quite so feisty, but they were making it work!

The ship was surrounded by small cabins that housed the families or people who needed their own space. Typically that meant anyone with an infant since no one wanted to be woken by a crying baby if they don’t have to be! They couldn’t build houses as fast as they wanted to since they had to make sure they didn’t overwork the forest, but they’d gotten better at building with stone too. Some of the people were even trying to figure out how to make an older building material called ‘bricks,' she was skeptical but hoped it would finally solve their problems!

Nearest the entrance to the ship was her cabin, which just so happened to be the largest of them all. She’d protested when they built it, but when Gellert sat her down and told her in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t allowed to have anything smaller she was left no choice but to accept the cabin. It was two bedrooms and had a little gathering space inside, and even their own fireplace. They’d even built her a small medical clinic since she was the only doctor, and it was attached to her cabin, so she never had to be far from her family.

Madi was standing at the bottom of the hill, staring up at Clarke, her fern green eyes squinting in the sunlight. Winter had finally arrived, and the ground was covered in the brilliant white snow, and it always seemed to Clarke that the light was brighter when the snow was sticking. When she caught Clarke’s attention, Madi motioned for her to come. Clarke got to her feet from the stump where she’d been sitting and picked up her little blue notebook and her pencils before heading down the hill.

“Nomen, they need us in the clinic. Thomas managed to get himself with a nail again” Madi said, her beautiful face lighting up with an amused smile.

Clarke rolled her eyes, “Who keeps letting him near the hammers? I swear, we need to lock him up for his own safety” she laughed, heading off towards their home, “I assume he’s got the kids?”

Madi rolled her eyes, “No, I left them alone in the snow-covered clearing. Come on Nomen, give me some credit here” she huffed good-naturedly.

Clarke shrugged, “I don’t know. I seem to recall you actually leaving Jas and Wells outside while you grabbed me last time?”

“Oh my god, Look, your patient was sick, and I just didn’t want them to catch anything!” she grumbled, racing off towards the house and not wanting to continue the conversation.

Clarke laughed, following after her eldest daughter. She walked up the stairs into her house, knowing that Thomas never waits in the clinic, and smiled when she how right she was. Thomas was sitting on the floor of the main room, entertaining the three infants with his goofy antics. She stood in the doorway, watching her family and remembering how she’d come to be a mother to four amazing children.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A year had passed since Praimfaya when Clarke spotted Madi alone in a cave by the river. She was around seven at the time, and Clarke had never expected to find someone else alive on the surface, let alone a kid! Madi was terrified and barely surviving, she was skin and bones, but she stared up at Clarke defiantly, challenging her to even try and hurt her. It had taken Clarke months to earn Madi’s trust, but they’d been together ever since they first met.

Four years later, the Eligius mining company had set down in the green patch. Clarke and Madi had watched them struggle to survive for almost a month before she caved. She’d seen enough death in her time on Earth, and she wasn’t going to sit back and watch them all die too. She’d initially started leaving food outside of their ship in the mornings, or guiding them to drinking water. Finally, they couldn’t stand the puzzle of not knowing who was helping them survive and they’d scoured the forest to find her. When the two giant twins saw her, they were ecstatic to have someone who could help them survive, and they invited Madi and Clarke to join the camp.

Clarke had blended into the camp seamlessly. Their medical officer was old and couldn’t have been happier to have someone new to pass the job onto, and she fit in like she’d been with them all her life. Madi quickly became a favorite of the entire camp, and every day she would work with a different section of camp to learn about anything and everything they could teach her.

Months passed, and Clarke grew close to the sweet Daniel who had helped welcome her into the camp. He teased her playfully but always supported her, and he was great with Madi. It wasn’t long before the two fell into a relationship, and it seemed perfect. Six months after Clarke and Daniel landed, Clarke got pregnant. They had just begun to debate girl’s names when tragedy struck. A mere nine months after they landed, Daniel died in a horrible accident. They’d been working on harvesting trees for cabins when a tree had fallen wrong, crushing him. He’d passed instantly, and they’d buried him outside of camp.

Six months after Daniel’s death, Clarke gave birth to their twin boys, Jasper Murphy Griffin and Wells Blake Griffin. Unfortunately, as Madi liked to say, they’d inherited their father’s bright red hair. They had her glacier blue eyes, and they were the first babies born to anyone in the camp, so they were spoiled by anyone and everyone. Madi loved her younger brothers, and couldn’t get enough of them!

Thomas had immediately stepped into the role of brother-in-law and had helped Clarke care for the kids. For months, he’d slept in her cabin on the floor to help out with the midnight diaper changes and fussiness. As the years passed, he and Clarke had grown close and loved to tease each other like siblings who had known each other all their lives.

When Jas and Wells were nine months old, one of the miners, Clarissa, gave birth to a bouncing baby girl, Olivia Sasha Williams. Sadly, her parents both died when she was three months old. They’d been working to clear the entrance to the bunker when some of the rocks had shifted, trapping five people underneath. By the time they got the boulders clear, it was too late. Clarke couldn’t stand to leave her an orphan, so Olivia became Olivia Sasha Griffin-Williams. With her darker complexion and curly black hair, she definitely stood out from the rest of her family, but she was the most doted on member of the family as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ahem, earth to Clarke? Think I could get some help here, Doc?” Thomas said, snapping his fingers in front of his sister-in-law.

“Sorry Thomas, I guess I zoned out. I was thinking about Daniel” Clarke smiled softly, “Come on, into the clinic we go. Let me see the damage. Madi, can you watch the kids while I patch up this idiot?”

Thomas huffed indignantly at being called a fool, and Madi stuck her tongue out at him before turning to answer her mom, “Sure thing! Can you make sure it hurts when you fix him up? Maybe then he’ll learn!”

Before Thomas could retort, Clarke shoved him through the door into the clinic and shut it behind them. She’d been caught in the middle of enough of their debates to know that if she didn’t stop it now, they’d go at it for hours! She raised her eyebrow, looking at Thomas while she waited for him to show her the wound. He sat on the medical table, kicking his feet like a giant child.

“Okay, don’t laugh too hard this time” He muttered, unwrapping the bandage on his left forearm.

When Clarke saw that there was an actual nail in his arm, she couldn’t hold back her laughter, “How the hell did you even manage that?!”

“Shut up and fix me, doc” he chuckled, “Or, I’ll tell Madi that Olive is your favorite daughter!”

Clarke rolled her eyes but got to work, patching him up with a few stitches a splash of alcohol before taking a seat next to him. She leaned against him, sighing quietly. The two sat there for a moment before Daniel decided to go ahead and ruin the moment. With a mischevious grin, he reached over and tickled her side. Clarke jumped up with an indignant squeak, racing out of his grasp.

“Get out, Thomas. And go find something you can actually handle to do why don’t you!” she laughed, pointing towards the door before cleaning up the clinic.

Thomas bowed, “Aye aye, captain. Whatever you say. I’ll see you guys tonight; I hope dinner’s actually edible this time!”

Clarke smiled, remembering the first night she’d enjoyed a meal with the crew and how disgustingly burned it was. She’d wished then that Murphy had been around to cook something for them, or at least give this lot some pointers. Over the months, they’d gotten better at cooking and figuring out what was actually edible plants and what was not.

Clarke headed back into her house, where Madi was adding more wood to the fireplace. Jas and Wells were toddling around; they were getting better at walking and Clarke was terrified of the day they learned to run. Olive was napping peacefully in her crib, and it was time for the twins to go down for their nap too. Madi and Clarke began their daily routine of rocking the twins to sleep before putting them down for their nap.

When they were out for the night, Clarke headed onto the porch where she sat on the chair that Daniel and Thomas had made her when they’d found out she was pregnant. It was huge, ridiculously so, but not like a bench. No, it was tall and deep, Clarke’s feet dangled off the ground when she sat on it. She smiled, remembering how they’d never considered that Clarke was almost a foot shorter than them, and so the chair was much too big for her. Nowadays, she sat out there every afternoon while the kids napped.

Clarke was just beginning to doze off when a loud crash rumbled through the forest, drawing the attention of everyone. The moment Madi heard the boom, she raced home to find Clarke staring up at the sky with her face full of wonder. Madi and Clarke shared a happy grin, knowing from experience that meant a ship or shuttle was landing. They turned back to the sky just in time to watch the shuttle’s fast but graceful descent.

As the shuttle slipped out of sight, the cries of babies and toddlers reached out to claim the silence that the shuttle had demanded. After seven and a half years in space, the Skaikru was coming home.

 


	2. Reunited Never Felt So... Bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke reunites with Skaikru, and they get the chance to finally catch up on everything. Of course, nothing goes as smooth as it should for them, and things go horribly wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally getting some angst here, and it won't be too much longer before the sunshine and rainbows are gone!

Moments after the shuttle had dipped below the treeline, Thomas raced around the corner of the dropship, his face lit up brighter than the sun. He looked like an eager puppy, his hazel eyes sparkling with excitement as he spotted Clarke on the porch.

“Guess they didn’t die up there after all!” Thomas yelled, his voice full of laughter as he took in the amazed look on Clarke’s face.

Clarke didn’t respond, only turned to look at the sun that lay high in the sky. She was itching to run off after the ship, desperate to know who had survived and why it had taken so long for them to return. She couldn’t wait for them to finally meet her family, and to help them build their lives again. This time, Skaikru’s return to Earth wouldn’t be full of murder and death. With Raven and Monty’s help, they could finally contact the people still trapped inside the bunker, if anyone was even alive in there.

Sara, the sweet young girl with dancing gray eyes and hair as dark as night was only a few moments behind Thomas. She was out of breath, not the most physical person around, but one of their most valued people, “Go, Clarke” she said, her voice breathy as she continued up onto the porch.

Sara didn’t have a mean bone in her body, and she’d ended up in the mining colony when her boyfriend framed her for murder. The other prisoners soon realized that she was innocent, and took care of her. She was the camp’s little sister and their future teacher. She loved working with the kids and was always willing to help out. When Clarke was busy in her clinic, Sara would watch the triplets, leaving Madi the time to be a kid and the opportunity to learn anything she could.

Clarke smiled gratefully, and jumped down off her porch, racing off towards the ship entrance without another word. Thomas and Madi were right on her heels, and the three of them only slowed to a fast walk when they walked through the makeshift door. As they turned the first corner, Clarke ran face first into Gellert, almost smacking into him.

“I see you heard the news?” he asked, continuing his leisurely stroll back towards his office.

“Yes! Gellert, I’d like to take a team and go get them. Please” she begged, her voice excited and nervous.

He nodded, “Of course. Who would you like to take and when will you leave?” he asked as he opened his office.

Clarke frowned slightly, “it’s too late in the day to leave tonight. The sun goes down in an hour or two, and we won’t reach them by then. I’d like to leave at first light. I’ll bring Thomas, Madi, and Liam if that’s okay?”

“That’s alright with me. Ask Sara and Liam first though, but I don’t imagine it will be a problem. While you’re gone, we’ll work on figuring out where they can sleep until we can make more permanent arrangements” he said, his brain already running a mile a minute as he debated the logistics.

Clarke recognized the look on Gellert’s face and knew he’d be too busy contemplating the new living arrangements to do much else, so she turned back to Thomas and Madi with a grin on her face.

“Bet you’re excited to show off your sexy brother-in-law, aren’t ya Clarkey? Didn’t you say there were some sexy women on that ship?” Thomas asked, throwing his arm around her shoulders, his eyebrows wiggling in a mockingly flirtatious manner.

“I also said smart” Clarke smirked, ducking out from under Thomas’s giant arm and heading back to camp, “Would you mind going to ask Liam if he’s good to go tomorrow? We’ll go talk to Sara.”

Thomas huffed in indignation and reached over to ruffle her hair before bowing, “Of course, mighty Princess. I’m yours to order.”

Clarke’s eyes sharpened as she reached out to smack Thomas. He jumped back out of her reach and raced away, a smirk on his face. Clarke muttered under her breath to herself, and Madi looked on with laughter. Madi had grown to love their family and was excited to see how it would continue to grow when the others arrived.

The night seemed to creep by, and Clarke found it impossible to sleep. She tossed and turned all night in the bed she shared with Madi until Madi finally sat up and smacked her with a pillow. Half-asleep and grumbling, Madi grabbed her pillow and blanket and walked out into the main room.

Finally, what seemed like eons after Clarke crawled into bed, the sun began to rise. Clarke jumped to her feet and dressed quickly, making sure to pack extra furs and blankets in case Skaikru wasn’t ready for the cold weather. One of the first things she was going to ask them was why the hell they waited seven years to land in the middle of the least hospitable season of all.

Sara had finally arrived, and Clarke and Madi were waiting for the boys by the ship entrance when Jay ran up, panting. Jay was one of the smallest guys in camp, but he was certainly the fastest. Secretly, Clarke hoped that he and Sara would become a couple, they seemed so perfect for each other.

He pointed back towards the pen, “Gellert needs help. He got struck by the deer.”

Clarke set her pack down and raced off towards the pen, Madi hot on her heels, “Tell Thomas what’s happening” she called back to Jay as she left him behind.

When Clarke and Madi arrived on the scene, they found Gellert on the ground with a puddle of blood beneath him. One of the deer had struck him with his antlers, and the point had broken off in the wound. Quickly, she got to work stabilizing him, and by the time the blood was under control, Thomas and Liam were there to help her carry him to the clinic.

When they laid the unconscious man down on the wooden table, Clarke turned to Thomas, “You guys go without us. I don’t know if they planned on how cold it was going to be, and I’d hate for them to freeze to death. Bring them home for me, okay?” she asked, shooting a half smile at him.

Thomas nodded, “Of course, Clarke. Don’t worry. How hard can it be to lead some Skaikru back to camp?” his smile was warm, and he wrapped her in a half-hug.

“If you’re not back tonight, just know, I think you’re slow and a loser,” Madi said, her voice teasing as she stuck her tongue out at him.

Liam rolled his eyes, grabbing Thomas and dragging him out of the clinic while Clarke and Madi got to work. It didn’t take long before Clarke had successfully removed the antler point and cleaned and stitched the hole. The only thing left to do was to make sure he didn’t try to get up too fast when he woke up. Clarke sent Madi off to tell everyone what was going on and settled in to wait.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Clarke waited, she reminisced about everything her and Thomas had been through. He was the closest person to her, and he knew everything about her. From how she hated the name Wanheda, and regretted all those she’d been forced to kill. How she was determined not to become that woman once again, and to do her best to repay those she’d hurt.

The first night after they’d buried Daniel, Clarke had been unable to sleep. Thomas found her about two in the morning, sitting on one of the logs around the campfire. She sat there, unmoving as she stared into the embers of the fire that had burned out hours ago. Thomas didn’t say a word, just sat down next to her and pulled her in close. They sat like that for hours, without speaking. The next day, Thomas moved into her cabin. He stayed there, sleeping in the other room until the twins were born, then he moved out to the main room so they could have their own room. He didn’t leave until the twins were six months old and he was sure Clarke and Madi could handle being on their own.

When Clarke gave birth to the twins, Thomas was right there in the room, holding her hand. Madi was panicking, doing her best to help Sara deliver the babies, but Thomas was cool as a cucumber. He teased Clarke, only stopping when she glared daggers at him. He’d been her rock during the delivery, but the moment Wells was born, he’d fainted. Later, he told everyone that he had just been so excited his little heart couldn’t take it, but Clarke knew that he actually really hated blood.

On Clarke’s twenty-third birthday, a mere two months ago, he’d organized a birthday party for her. They played music from the ship and had a big bash. Thomas even tried to make a cake. It was horrible tasting and was more of a disgusting pancake, but he’d given it his best chance, so she choked the thing down. Afterwards, everyone had danced, and it had just been a wonderful night. It was the first time since her father died that Clarke felt at-ease, and like she truly belonged somewhere.

Sara and Liam had often tried to convince Clarke to date him, saying how great they obviously were together. Dating him was never an option for Clarke, he was like her brother. Sure, she loved him, but there were no romantic feelings there for either of them, and she couldn’t wait for the day he’d marry a girl, and she could have a sister-in-law.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was beginning to set, and Gellert had yet to wake up. Ethan, Gellert’s close friend, had come to relieve Clarke so she could get something to eat. She had just settled into the dining hall when Madi raced in, her eyes bright and her cheeks flushed from the cold, “They’re back!” she yelled.

Clarke jumped her to her feet, abandoning her meal as she raced to the camp entrance. When she came out of the hall, she slowed to a stop, spotting Skaikru standing there. Their faces were nervous, and they almost looked like they were itching for a fight. Liam stood next to them, his face broken, but Clarke never stopped to ponder that.

The moment that Clarke spotted Bellamy, the world seemed to freeze. He looked the same as he always had, his hair was a little longer now, but just as unruly. He had scruff on his face, and he looked softer than when she’d seen him last. Less used to fighting for his life. It took him a moment longer to catch sight of her, and when he did his face broke, and Clarke raced to hug him. They hugged for a long moment, taking in the feel of one another for the first time in years. One by one, she clutched the rest of the Skaikru, even Murphy, Emori, and Echo who were extremely uncomfortable with the affection.

“How are you still alive?” Raven asked, pushing her back to look her over, tears running down her cheeks.

“The nightblood worked, Raven. It actually worked! What took you guys so long?!” she asked, turning to look at Monty, a grin on her face.

“We had to take some parts from the shuttle to keep the ARK running, so we had to figure out how to put the shuttle back together” Monty explained, reaching out to hug her again.

A crowd had gathered behind them, the miners coming to meet the people Clarke had told them tales of for so long. Madi and Sara hung back, Madi holding Jasper’s and Well’s hands, and Sara holding Olive. It wasn’t until the murmuring grew that Clarke turned to Liam, realizing Thomas was missing. When she saw the devastation on his face, she stepped back away from her people, her eyes scanning the surroundings, waiting for Thomas to appear like always.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say a word, she caught sight of the body on the ground behind Skaikru. She raced to him, tears already streaming down her face, knowing that nothing could be done, as searched the cold body, trying to figure out what had happened. She grabbed his head, pulling it into her lap as she sobbed over the body of the man who had helped her learn what home really meant, mourning the loss of the person who had been there for her when she needed it most. As she sobbed over his body, the crowd grew silent. She looked down at his chest, finally noticing the wound in his chest that had killed him. It wasn’t an accidental death like so many before him. No, he’d been shot.

Clarke turned to look up at Liam, her heartbreaking, but before she could say a word, he spoke first, “They shot him.” was all he said, his voice breaking.

Clarke looked over to Skaikru, her face full of betrayal and heartbreak. Jasper wobbled away from Madi who had come closer, needing to see for herself, and reached out to touch his uncle’s face. Clarke swept Jasper up in her arms, holding him tight as she sobbed. Skaikru looked on in horror, not saying a word or moving a muscle.

 


	3. Sometimes The Truth Can Destroy It All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth is, reuniting isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Monty finds out that Clarke named her firstborn son after his dead best friend, and Murphy and Bellamy find out they were used as middle names. More fluff, more sadness, nothing good.

Jasper looked at up his momma and gently tugged on her wavy blonde hair. Clarke looked down at her son, tears running down her cheeks. She took a shuddering breath, realizing that she needed to be strong for all of her kids. Gently, she lay Thomas’ head on the ground and got to her feet, scooping her son up in her arm and resting him on her hip.

Clarke moved back, stepping away from Skaikru and towards her family and the miners, distancing herself from the ones she’d been so excited to see just moments before. Madi was staring silently down at Thomas, her face an unreadable mask. Clarke reached out with her other arm and wrapped it around her, pulling her close. No one spoke, the miners waiting to see what Clarke would do, and Skaikru trying to figure out who these people were.

Gellert hobbled up, his face hard. He’d been briefed on his way over by Sara who had gone to fetch him, “Who did it?” He asked, his voice gravelly.

Liam turned, pointing to Echo who stood at the back of Skaikru, the others drawing close, protective of her, “She did it. Thomas fired off a warning shot into the sky because we heard rustling in the bushes. Next thing I know, she’s shot him.” His voice was soft, quiet, directly at odds with the horror he described.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bellamy drew closer to Echo, shielding her from the sight of as many as he could. Over the last seven years, Skaikru had bonded together, and even Emori and Echo had quickly found their place. He’d grown close to her, and though they’d hooked up a few times, they both knew it would never be anything more. The rest of Skaikru moved to copy him, defending the woman who didn’t need anyone to fight her battles.

He turned to Clarke, his face puzzled as he took in the way she held the children close. He’d noticed the two young boys looked almost identical to the man, Thomas, that Echo had killed. Their fiery red hair stood out, stark against the white snow, but it was their eyes that captured him the most. His heart plummeted as he realized why those glacier blue eyes looked so familiar, and he turned to look at Raven.

Raven met his gaze, seeming to have come to the same horrifying conclusion that Bellamy had. They, incorrectly, assumed that the murdered man was the father of Clarke’s children, and the thought horrified them. The man who had spoken before cleared his throat and Skaikru turned to look at him. He was a broad man, built like a brick. His graying hair a sign of his age, but you couldn’t tell he was old from the way he acted and carried himself.

The man who seemed to be in charge, turned to them, “My name is Gellert. You stand accused of murdering one of our own, and for that, you must pay. However, we are not uncivilized. We’ll grant you the same right we would any of us; you get a trial. Tomorrow.” The man stood there, his brown eyes piercing as he studied them.

Bellamy nodded, “Thank you, Gellert. It was all a misunderstanding; we never meant for this to happen” he was quiet, trying to be respectful. He could see how much it had hurt the members of this camp to lose Thomas from the looks on their faces.

Liam, their guide, turned to Gellert, “Where do you want them to sleep tonight? We still have that empty cell in the ship?”

Gellert nodded, but before he could speak, Clarke stepped forward. She’d managed to get herself under control; her face schooled back into the mask she used in the clinic and had to work on someone she cared for.

She took a deep breath, turning to Gellert, “SkaiKru can stay with me tonight. Except for Echo. She can stay in the cell since she’s the one on trial.”

Gellert studied her face, and she met his gaze. His face was questioning, and when she nodded slightly, he seemed to get the answer he was looking for. He turned to Liam, “Take her to the cell, the others can go with Clarke.” The crowd began to disperse, murmuring as the returned to their tasks.

Liam stepped forward to grab Echo so he could show her where to go, and Skaikru stepped closer. Clarke shook her head, “She’ll be fine, Bellamy. I need to get the kids inside, so let’s go” her voice was hard.

Bellamy nodded, and moved back, “It’ll be alright, Echo. We’ll figure it out. It’s one more night inside” he promised, motioning to her to follow Liam.

The rest of Skaikru stepped back, and Liam gently grabbed Echo’s arm. Echo yanked her arm out of his grasp, staring daggers at him. Liam put his hands up, and shrugged, “Let’s go then.”

Clarke leaned over to pick up Wells, and stood, resting one toddler on each hip. She turned to Madi and Sara who were standing there silently still, “Madi, can you grab Olive? I know you probably want to go eat dinner, Sara” her voice softened, “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

Madi scooped the little girl up in her arms, and Clarke turned, leading the way down the trail of camp. Two of the other miners carefully picked up Thomas’ body and carried him away, not even looking at Skaikru. Bellamy and Raven shared a glance, but followed her without another word, and the rest of Skaikru fell in line.

As they walked, Skaikru looked around the camp. They’d been hard at work and known what they were doing. The cabins were solid and would hold up to the heavy winter snow. The rock chimneys in the fireplaces had smoke pouring out of them, giving the camp a cozy feel in the cold weather.

Madi climbed the steps of one of the cabins nearest the entrance, and opened the door, “Hurry up and get in here. Don’t track mud everywhere though or you’ll clean it” she muttered, walking straight into the babies room, without turning to look at Skaikru even once.

When they entered the cabin, Clarke turned to Skaikru, “You guys get settled in. I’m going to put the kids down for the night, and I’ll come back out. You can have my room, but some of you are going to have to sleep out here” she motioned to the door opposite the fireplace, “That’s the clinic.”

“Thank you, Clarke,” Harper said, a sad smile on her face as she looked at the grieving woman, “for everything.”

Clarke didn’t respond, except to flash a quick smile back, and stepped into the room Madi had entered, shutting the door behind her with her foot. Murphy shrugged and began to poke around, looking around the cozy cabin.

The cabin’s main room was comfortable and homey, a few blocks and other children toys were scattered around the room. There was a small table pushed up against the wall near the entrance with shelving above it. The shelves held wooden bowls and a few carved spoons, a little jug of water, candles, and even some harvested fruits.

There were some rough windows carved into the walls, but they were covered completely over for the winter, and they’d done a good job sealing them shut with mud and grasses. The fireplace was small but bright enough to light up the cabin, and had a bit of caging around, salvaged from the cells on the ship, to keep the children out of it. There was a small carved bench near the fireplace as well, where you could curl up to keep warm.

Emori looked inside Clarke’s bedroom, seeing the grass filled bed on the raised platform where Clarke and Madi slept every night and the furs they covered themselves in. A small table near the bed held a candle and Clarke’s little blue notebook. The room was small, just big enough to hold the bed and table, with a skinny walkway around it.

While they explored the cabin, they heard Clarke’s voice, soft and sweet as she sung a lullaby to the children, putting them down for their naps. Murphy looked over at Bellamy, one of his eyebrows raised curiously. It seemed to Murphy that this Clarke was not the girl they’d left behind so many years ago.

Before Bellamy could say anything, there was a knock on the front door of the cabin. Monty exchanged curious glances with Harper, this way of life was so different than what they’d been living that it seemed almost alien. Monty had an intrigued look on his face, as he approached the door and opened it to find the girl that Clarke had called Sara holding a stack of blankets and clothes.

“Here, I know Clarke doesn’t have enough blankets for all of you, not even using what’s in the clinic. I asked around and got you some clothes too. I imagine you don’t want to wear the same thing and we weren’t sure if you had other clothes…” her voice was kind, and she smiled politely holding the stack out to Monty.

“Thank you, Sara” Monty said, his voice going up, unsure if that was indeed her name or not.

“You’re welcome! Tell Clarke I’ll see her in the morning” Sara walked away, leaving an uncomfortable Monty at the door holding the stack. He shut the door gently with his foot and set it down.

“They seem nice,” Monty said, turning and setting the stack on the table.

Loud whispering could be heard from the kid’s room, what sounded like an argument. They turned to look, just in time to see Clarke exiting the room, her face betraying the exhaustion and frustration she felt. Monty smiled softly, walking over to hug Clarke, and she hugged him back for a long moment before stepping away.

She offered a half smile as she looked at Skaikru, “kids” was all she said, shrugging. She’d put the thought of Thomas out of her mind, knowing that she’d have to deal with it later as she had too much to handle first. She kneeled down in the corner of the room near the table and using her knife, popped up one of the floorboards. She pulled out two large bottles before replacing the boards and turned to Skaikru, “Anyone want a drink?”

Murphy laughed and reached over to grab one of the bottles, “Haven’t had a drink in years. Who would have thought the Princess would be the one to break us of that?”

Clarke smiled, passing the other bottle to Raven who took a swig and passed it on, “Liam used to brew a drink called ‘mead’ back before he got arrested, and he taught a lot of us, so now we trade flavors and make our own. It’s nowhere near as strong as Monty’s moonshine, but it gets the job done.”

Raven smiled, turning to Clarke, “Alright, I gotta know, how do you have four kids, and what are their names?”

“The eldest girl is my daughter, Madi. I found her a year after Praimfaya, and we’ve been together ever since. The twins are my firstborns, Jasper Murphy Griffin and Wells Blake Griffin. They’re little nightmares. By the way, implants don’t work anymore I guess so be careful” she chuckled softly before continuing, “And the youngest is my adopted daughter, Olivia but we just call her Olive.

When she finished speaking, Monty leaned over and hugged her tight. It took him a while to let go, but when he did, there were tears in his eyes. Bellamy reached over to grab her shoulder and squeezed it tight before reaching back to grab the bottle.

Murphy’s face lit up in a grin, “I didn’t know you cared that much about me, Princess. Touching, really.”

She reached over and hit his shoulder hard enough for him to wince slightly, and he rubbed his shoulder, glaring at her teasingly.

“Tell us all about them, Clarke,” Harper asked, her voice gentle as can be.

Clarke laughed quietly and told them all about her family. There seemed to be an unspoken rule that night, to not mention Thomas or Echo, knowing that it would only hurt too much. Clarke spoke about Daniel for ages, telling them how they would have loved the serious and grumpy man. Hours passed, and they caught each other up on everything they’d missed during their years apart. Clarke told them about the years she’d spent with just Madi, and how Madi was growing to be fierce. She apologized to Bellamy for always thinking he was just too overprotective of Octavia, saying she understood now how he felt.

She told them how the miners had helped them clear the rubble over the bunker, in hopes that they’d be able to free Wonkru. How they couldn’t open the door from the outside, and they had no way to talk to them. Their radios weren’t working, and none of the miners knew how to fix it. Maybe, with Raven and Monty, they could finally figure out if anyone was alive down there and get them out.

In return, Skaikru told her about their years in space. Surviving off the disgusting algae with no way to spice it up. Of the days that they weren’t sure if they were going to freeze to death or die from lack of oxygen. They made her laugh with the story of Harper and Monty’s breakup, and how it had been awkward until Murphy locked them in a room together to talk it out. They told her of the funnier days as well, like the day they’d hidden all of Bellamy’s clothes and left him only a towel or the time Bellamy got his revenge by convincing Monty, Emori, Echo, and Harper that the Ark was haunted.

As the hours passed, Skaikru members began to doze off. First, it was Murphy and Emori who fell asleep in Clarke’s bed, too tired to stay awake much longer and wanting to sleep on a soft looking bed. Then, it was Harper and Monty who dozed off by the fire. When it was just Clarke, Raven and Bellamy, they moved into the clinic, not wanting to wake the others. They stayed up late into the night, talking about anything and everything that came to mind, getting drunker by the hour.

They’d grown silent as time passed, taking comfort in just each other’s presence. They were sitting by the side on the exam table, Clarke in the middle with Bellamy to her left and Raven to her right. Clarke was leaning her head on Raven’s shoulder, just sitting there quietly.

Just when Raven began to wonder if Clarke had fallen asleep, Clarke spoke up, her voice quiet and melancholy, “Thomas was my brother-in-law. Not really, not legally, if Daniel hadn’t died then maybe… He made sure Madi and I were okay and looked after us, he helped me when Jasper and Wells were born. He’s been my rock for two years, and I don’t know how to do this without him… Madi just lost her only father figure, and we just lost our only other family member.” Tears crept down her face, and she finally broke. She told them everything about Thomas, from their first meeting to the last time she’d seen him.

A few hours before sunrise, they all finally retreated to sleep. Raven and Bellamy passed out near Monty and Harper, and Clarke crept back into the kid’s room. They slept peacefully that night, comfortable, safe and happy to be back with old friends.

When dawn finally broke, Clarke and Madi woke to their usual routine and got to work. Madi went out into the main room, stepping over the still sleeping Skaikru members and got to work cutting and mashing the fruits down into a mash for the twins. Clarke changed the diapers and got the kids dressed for the day, shooing them out into the cabin’s main room. Jas wobbled over to sit on top of the sleeping Raven, who quickly sat up, almost tipping him over, and causing him to start bawling. Wells, on the other hand, made his way over to Murphy and proceeded to yank on his hair. Murphy woke with a start - and a string of curse words.

Clarke and Madi made quick work of feeding the kids and stoking the fire while Skaikru tried to stay out of the way. As they worked, it finally began to set in for Skaikru that Clarke had built a life for herself, one where she wasn’t Wanheda. She wasn’t the girl who had been forced to kill her lover to spare him a worse fate. She wasn’t the girl who brought down the mountain. She was Clarke as she was always meant to be, mother, healer, leader.

By the time Sara arrived, Skaikru had finally gotten ready for the day, and the kids were playing with their toys. With a smile and a wave, she sent the group on their way to the dining hall where they could grab breakfast before the trial began.

When they grabbed their bowls of the warm mash, Skaikru took their seats at a back table, where they would be out of the way. Madi grabbed Clarke’s arm, and hung back, arguing with her before taking a seat next to some of the miners.

“What was that all about?” Bellamy asked, his eyebrows drawing close in confusion when Clarke sat next to him.

She shot him a slight smile, “Just Madi being Madi. Don’t worry about it. She’ll be fine.”

Bellamy merely stared at her, not saying a word. He drew his eyebrows up, and looked down at her like he used to when they were partners, and waited for her to speak.  
  
She sighed, “Madi doesn’t want to sit next to the people whose member killed her uncle. This will be all fine once everything is over. Don’t worry.”

Bellamy nodded, “Want me to talk to her, Clarke? I can if you’d like” he offered her a half smile.

She shook her head, “No, she needs space. Once the trial is over, it will be fine.”

They ate their breakfasts in peace, and when everyone had finished eating, they cleaned off their dishes and the tables, before returning to their seats. When everyone who wanted to had gathered in the dining hall, and some of the guys had moved one of the tables at the front, Clarke left Skaikru behind and walked up front.  
  
Over the years, they’d formed a council of their own to lead the camp, and as the member of the group with the most Earth experience of them all, Clarke had long ago earned herself a spot on the council. Once Gellert, Liam and one of the other girls, Kelsey, had taken their seat up at the front table, an empty chair was left next to Clarke. The loss was felt by all the camp members, who knew that chair was reserved for Thomas, the fifth member of the council.

One of the miners escorted Echo in. She was clean and wearing a set of clothes that had been lent to her by one of the others, her wild hair was brushed back, and she looked tired. Her head held high, proud, as she scanned the crowd until she spotted Skaikru. Some of the panic left her face when she saw them, trusting them as she took the provided seat for her next to the council.

The trial began with Echo giving her side of the story. She explained that she had been at the shuttle with everyone else when they heard a gunshot. Thomas and Liam had rounded the corner, and without hesitation, she shot him the moment she saw him with a gun in his hand. Liam corroborated her story but explained that Thomas had fired a shot because there had been rustling in the brush, and with the mutated wildcats, it wasn’t safe out there.

When both sides had told what had happened, it was time for the council to vote. It was a unanimous vote of guilty. Skaikru frowned, looking among themselves. They hadn’t expected Clarke to declare her guilty too. They turned their attention back to the front as Gellert climbed to his feet.

“The accused has been found guilty. We leave it up to all to decide the punishment. Who wants to speak first?” Gellert asked, looking around the room.

The miners glanced among themselves, before turning to Clarke. It was traditional for the person closest to the victim to speak up when the victim could not. Clarke took a deep breath before climbing to her feet and looked at Bellamy’s chocolate brown eyes.

“I request the death penalty on behalf of Thomas.” Her voice was harsh, and she turned to look at Echo while she spoke. Bellamy jumped to his feet but was pushed down by one of the other miners, who kept his hand on Bellamy’s shoulder so he would not get back up.

When Bellamy was returned to his seat, Clarke continued, “Echo should be sentenced to Death for removing the only other family that Jasper Griffin and Wells Griffin have. She has taken away a beloved uncle, friend, and brother.”  
  
“What the fuck, Clarke!” Murphy’s voice was a growl that could be heard across the hall.

Gellert turned to SkaiKru, shooting them a look so vicious it shut them up instantly. Turning to the rest of the miners he spoke again, “Does anyone else have a recommendation?” No one spoke

His voice grew louder, “Those in favor of Echo’s execution for the murder of Thomas, say aye!” A loud chorus of aye’s followed. Clearly, the majority and SkaiKru knew it.

He nodded, turning his gaze to SkaiKru, “Those against Echo’s execution for the murder of Thomas, say nay!” The room was silent except for the loud yells from SkaiKru.

Gellert turned his gaze back to Clarke, “The decision is made. As is your right, as Thomas’ only surviving kin, you will carry out the sentence yourself, or you may appoint someone to do so on your behalf.”

Clarke turned to look at Echo, her icy eyes meeting the frightened dark brown, and spoke, her voice carrying through the silence of the dining hall, “I will not ask someone to do something I would not do myself. Tonight at dusk, I will kill fulfill my duty.”   
Clarke walked out of the dining hall as the crowd dispersed, Gellert escorting Echo back to her cell. As Clarke walked down the path towards the smokehouse, Bellamy raced up behind her and grabbed her arm, yanking her to face him. His face was furious as he stepped forward, crowding her space. She’d never seen the level of fury on his face before, but she wasn’t frightened.   
  
“Clarke! You can’t just sentence her to death for an accident!” his voice was a low snarl, enough to make lesser people shrink back in fear.

“Yes Bellamy, I can actually. Her accident? Damaged my family in a way I can’t fix” she met his gaze, leaning into him, her voice dangerously low, “Her Accident? Took away my kid’s uncle. My daughter will now always know that her last words to her uncle were her calling him a slow loser. My boys will never know their dad’s side of the family. Do you know why? Because of accidents. That’s not my fault damn it and it sure as hell isn’t theirs, so why do they have to pay for it?”

Bellamy stared at her, his eyes softening. He could see how bad this all was hurting her, and how close she was to breaking. He reached out, setting the palm of his hand on her cheek, his voice was soft, “Clarke… Please, don’t do this. You don’t have to do this..”

Clarke leaned into his hand for a moment her face softening, closing her eyes at the warmth of his hand on her face before snapping to her senses. She stepped back out of his reach and shook her head, a few stray tears rolling down her cheeks, “Yes, I do.”

She turned, leaving him behind and took off around the corner, away from her home and towards the livestock pen. Bellamy watched her go before shaking his head, realizing that her mind was made up. He went back to the dining hall to find the others waiting there for them. Murphy started to speak, always the rash one, but shut his mouth as he realized the crowd that still inhabited the room. SkaiKru retreated outside to an area near the outside wall after making sure the area was clear.

“Bellamy, we can’t let Clarke kill her… She doesn’t deserve it” Harper said as she looked at the rest of her group, her eyes pleading.

“We need to get Echo out of here. Clarke’s not going to back down, not on this, not right now. If we can get Clarke out of here, maybe she’ll calm down and call it off” Raven said, looking around at the gathered SkaiKru members.

As they discussed their options and came up with a plan to get Echo to safety, Clarke stood back. She had finished talking with the miners and planning Thomas’ funeral; it would be a pyre for tonight after the deed was done. She’d planned to talk to Monty, hoping he could tell Liam how to make moonshine. The mead wasn’t as strong as she’d like for clinic use, but it was all they had. She’d come around the corner of the ship to find them talking, leaned in close and just one.

For the first time since their reunion, it finally seemed to set in for her how much they had all changed. They no longer were scared teenagers, doing what they had to do to survive. They were brave men and women who had fought in a war and come out the other side. When the dust had settled, and the war had ended, they had healed together. She was the outsider, and maybe she always had been. The Princess of the Ark, Wanheda, Murderer, maybe even Miner. Every title she took, every mantle she wore, drove her further and further from the people of the Ark. At this point, she wasn’t even sure she’d consider herself SkaiKru. She belonged with this group of criminals who were murderers, rapists, violent criminals who had deserved their sentences but had found a way to work together and build a community where they were all cherished.

Clarke shook her head, returning to her home to spend the day with her family. The final day before she bloodied herself once again and took back her mantle as Wanheda. Over the years, she’d come to terms with the lives she’d taken and realized she’s just been doing what she had to do.

The day passed quickly, and before Clarke knew it, it was time. As the sun began to drop, Clarke got to her feet from where she’d been playing on the ground with her kids. With a smile and a kiss on their foreheads, she grabbed her small pistol from the top shelf where she kept it out of the reach of the kids. Madi got up to follow Clarke, and almost out of the door when Clarke stopped her, putting her hand out to block her.

“Please Madi, you don’t need to see this. Just… stay here and watch your siblings, okay?” Clarke’s voice was soft, almost pleading.

Madi stared at her, searching her face for a moment before nodding. She reached out to squeeze Clarke’s hand before going back inside and shutting the door. Clarke continued her walk outside of the gates where she met Liam, Gellert, Echo, and SkaiKru. SkaiKru’s faces were hard, unmoving. If Clarke hadn’t been so wrapped in her thoughts, she might have realized they would never let this happen. Nodding to Gellert she took her spot near Echo, her face a blank mask.

“Any last words, Echo?” Clarke asked, her voice soft, “Any prayers or anything you need to say?”

Echo said nothing, merely glared at Clarke, her face hard, full of rage, her eyes the only thing betraying the fear she felt. Clarke nodded, lining up her shot as she faced her down. Suddenly, footsteps crunched behind them, and Clarke whirled, lowering her gun as she turned to find Madi had moved to stand beside SkaiKru.

“Dammit Madi, what did I say. You need to get your ass inside right now” Clarke said as she turned to face her eldest daughter.

Bellamy nodded to Murphy, taking advantage of the distraction to draw their guns. Liam had never taken it from them, trusting them because Clarke did. Murphy aimed his rifle at Gellert, and Bellamy did the unthinkable. He grabbed Madi, his gun not pointing at her but close enough the threat was clear. There was nothing he wouldn't do to save his people, and Echo was his now. Liam and Gellert pulled out their guns, aiming it at Murphy and Emori who had drawn their weapons.

“Let her go.” the threat was clear, her voice harder than diamonds, as Clarke raised her gun, aiming it directly at Bellamy’s face.

“Clarke, just let Echo leave and no one has to get hurt” Monty pleaded, stepping towards her.  
Clarke whirled, aiming her gun at Monty and jumped forward, pulling him into her and jamming the gun against his head, Monty froze solid.

“Clarke, please” his voice was soft, pleading now for his life.

“Let my fucking daughter go, Bellamy or so help me god I will kill Monty right here, and the blood will be on your hands” her voice growled, feral.

Harper watched, shocked, at Clarke’s sudden attitude change, and her willingness to kill those she’d once killed for. She slowly inched her way over to Echo, grabbing her hand and yanking her over to join them.

Once Echo was on their side, they slowly turned, the two groups circling each other until SkaiKru’s back was to the forest.

“Clarke, let Monty go, I’m not going to hurt Madi… I swear” Bellamy begged, his face broken and soft.

Madi, who had frozen at first, finally came to life, biting Bellamy’s hand like a wild animal, stomping on his foot and kicking him in the kneecaps. When he dropped her, she raced back over to Clarke.

Clarke shoved Monty away from her, causing him to land face first in the dirt in front of SkaiKru, shoving Madi behind her. Murphy pulled Monty to his feet, and SkaiKru backed up, no one on either side putting down their guns.

“Bellamy, you must realize this isn’t over. Echo will pay, and so will you if I ever catch you near my family” Clarke snarled, watching as they entered the forest.

“I’m sorry” Bellamy whispered, before disappearing into the now dark forest. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this is two chapters back to back for one of my two stories, but I wanted to get them caught up with each other. I intend to alternate back and forth now!


	4. Mistakes And The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke comes face to face with Bellamy after everything

Clarke turned to Gellert and Liam, “Let’s head back. Get Kelsey; we need to talk.” Her voice was cold steel, gaze only softening when she looked down at Madi.

Gellert and Liam nodded, heading off towards the ship, while Clarke escorted Madi back to their house. Clarke wrapped her up in a tight hug, refusing to let her go for a long moment. When she did, she kissed Madi’s forehead and nudged her towards the door.

“Please. Stay here this time. I need you to stay safe, Madi” Clarke’s voice was soft, as she faced the realization that she could have lost Madi tonight to people she had once trusted.

Madi frowned up at her mom, “Alright, I’m sorry Nomen” her voice was quiet, subdued. The normally brave and determined girl seemed to realize what her actions had done today.

When Madi was safely inside the cabin, Clarke drew in a long and shuddering breath. In twenty-four hours, she’d lost her brother-in-law, been betrayed by those she’d waited to return for years, and almost lost her daughter. It had been seven years since she’d had to make decisions like what she now faced, and she was saddened to realize just how easy she found it to pick that mantle back up and become Wanheda once more.

She met the rest of the council inside Gellert’s office. Kelsey looked furious. The boys had caught her up with the situation. Kelsey’s gray eyes sparked like thunder during a storm, and her normally loose brown hair was pulled up tightly into a bun.

“Is she alright?” Kelsey asked, her voice was clipped. She was never the friendliest person, but once you got past her harsh shell, she was one of the most loyal people you could know. Luckily for Madi, she’d been quick to win over Kelsey, and the two were very close.

“She’s alright, little shaken up, but who can blame her for that” Clarke answered, “We need to decide where we go from here. It’s them versus us now, and we need to come out on top.”

Liam turned to face Clarke, a slight frown on his normally jovial face, “Clarke, are you sure about that? They’re your people?”

She paused for a moment, seeming to debate her response before she spoke, “I’m sure. They stopped being my people when Praimfaya hit. I just didn’t realize it until today. I’ve been with you guys longer than I was with most of them, and you are my people” her voice was decisive, her mind made up.

Kelsey smiled, the expression looking almost comically awkward on her stern face, “Glad we get to keep you around, I’d hate to lose Madi.”

Clarke smiled back, “Just try to get rid of me now.” Her face hardened back up, and she turned to Gellert, “We need to claim territory. Now. I was stupid to think we could all get along. When they crack that bunker open, we don’t know who is going to be coming out of it, and we need to have our claim firmly done.”

The next few hours passed like that, with them deciding what areas to claim as their territory and what to leave. They focused on creating a better guard system, they’d gotten lax since the large predators had learned to avoid them, but it now seemed they had to worry about new monsters - humans. The moon was high in the sky by the time that their meeting concluded, and they had made all the decisions they needed to.

The meeting ended, and they all returned to their homes, knowing that life was about to change, and it wasn’t for the better. The council slept restlessly that night, each of them thinking over the tasks they had to accomplish, and what they had to do the next day.

The dawn rose over the camp, and birds began to chirp. It was a picture-perfect morning by all accounts, and Clarke and Madi set about their morning routine without hesitation. When breakfast came, they brought the younger kids to the dining hall, so that Sara, and everyone else, could be there for the announcements.

When everyone had taken their seats, Clarke walked to the front of the hall and climbed up onto one of the chairs so that everyone could see her clearly. “Miners, Last night, Skaikru turned on me. They grabbed Madi and threatened her. We released the murderer in exchange for Madi’s life, and now they must pay. If anyone lays eyes on Echo, shoot to kill. If you see Bellamy, shoot him on sight. We’ve decided on territory for ourselves, and if any of them crosses the boundary, shoot them. Try not to kill anyone but Bellamy or Echo, but do not put yourselves at risk. They will kill you if you threaten them. Do what you have to do.”

Over the rest of breakfast, they filled the miners in on everything that had happened and everything that had been decided. When the miners heard what SkaiKru had done to Madi, they were more than willing to kill whoever to defend her. They were fiercely protective of the children of the camp, and they certainly would not let anyone get away with hurting her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two weeks passed, and the mining crew quickly adapted to the new way of life. Guards patrolled the territory throughout the day, and they had marked the trees around the boundary with large X's carved into them, making it clear what belonged to them. They’d been fair with their territory claim, claiming around a third of the green zone, and part of the river for themselves. Madi was now taking fighting lessons from some of the miners, and she was a quick learner.

The miners had shot at SkaiKru twice but had purposefully missed both times. They’d wanted to warn them of the new boundary line, and they’d caught on quickly. So far, SkaiKru had been respecting the new territory line and been staying out of their way.

The miners were falling into their new routine quite nicely. Clarke was in the clinic, cleaning up and disinfecting the tools while Madi swept the floor clean. They were just about done with their tasks when the door flew open. Clarke looked up, her hand flying to rest on the pistol she wore on her waist. She’d stopped wearing it around camp a year ago, but now that SkaiKru had landed, she was back to wearing it at all times.

Liam was standing in the open doorway, “Clarke, one of the guards found a person they think is Murphy at the border. He’s asking to talk to you, says he needs your help.”

She narrowed her eyes, thoughts racing as she debated all of the possibilities, “Alright, grab two others and meet me at the rover. We’ll go meet them.” Her voice was hard as she turned to Madi, “I swear to god if you follow me this time you will be grounded for life.”

“I won’t follow you, not this time. Besides, someones got to take care of Olive” she smiled softly, her voice apologetic.

Clarke grabbed her traveling bag, rifle and armed herself with knives. She kissed all of her kids on their heads and headed off to find Liam at the camp entrance. The rover was older and had been beaten up quite a bit during the last seven years, but she still ran nicely. One of the miners had been a mechanic in his previous life, and he’d been more than happy to fix it up. They didn’t use it all that much anymore, considering how small the green patch was, and it was aging gracefully.

The drive to the boundary passed quickly, and it wasn’t long before Clarke spotted Murphy just outside. He looked exhausted, circles under his eyes, his face was red and blotchy. He was leaning against a tree, but the moment he saw the rover he stood up straight, almost tipping over.

As Clarke climbed out of the Rover, Murphy heard her call back to the driver, “Keep it running. If anyone but me tries to get in here, shoot to kill.”

She hung back from him, and looked him over, “You can’t just summon me whenever you guys want, Murphy. Not after that shit, you guys pulled” her voice was hard, cold as ice as she studied the man she’d once counted an ally.

“I’m sorry, but we need your help” a cough wracked his body, leaving him hunched over, “We’re sick, and we need our doctor.”

She stared at him, cold and unmoving, “I’m not your doctor, Murphy. I haven’t been your doctor for years, why should I help you?”

His coughing worsened, and he leaned over, resting his hand on his knee as he tried to catch his breath. When he had finally finished, he looked back up at her, “I don’t blame you for hating us. But Clarke, Emori is sick, and so are Harper and Monty. They’re innocent in this. They need your help. Please.”

Clarke stared at him, studying him silently for a long moment. This proud man who would fight the world before asking for help, was here, begging for help for the woman he loved. Even Clarke, as furious as she was, could respect that. She doubted they'd try and attack her like this, even they weren't that foolish, and he was too sick to be faking it.

"If Echo is there, I will kill her, and Bellamy better not even look my way, or he’s next“ she warned him, stepping close to him, "where are they? Let's go."

Murphy coughed again, nodding his head to the west, “Over there. ‘Bout an hours walk”

She rolled her eyes, “Let’s go Murphy. Get in the rover.” She returned to the rover, leading him, but before he got in the van, she spoke to her team, “He’s sick with god knows what. If you don’t want to risk it, we can meet you back at camp, no harm, no foul.”

The men merely scooted over, leaving room for Clarke to climb in with Murphy, and off they went. The drive was going well, if a bit silent. The only sound was the coughing of Murphy and the rattle of the Rover as it mastered the rough terrain.

“Clarke, you know this wasn't what we wanted..." Murphy began to talk, his voice soft and raspy.

"You'd best shut up" she growled, leveling him with an icy stare.

He sighed but remained silent. That was when Clarke finally realized how sick they must be. Murphy would never beg or back down from an argument, and she's not sure even seven more years in space would fix that.

They finally arrived at the shuttle, and Clarke let out at a snort of laughter at sight in front of her. Their camp, if you could call it that, consisted of the shuttle, which had a raggedy tarp over the door, just like the drop ship had so many years ago. There was no fence and not even a fire. She rolled her eyes, and climbed out, dragging Murphy out with her.

“I can’t believe you idiots decided to set up camp at the shuttle. I assumed you’d be smarter than that… We’ll just have to come back later then” she shrugged, stalking towards the shuttle like a cat towards prey.

Murphy was struggling to keep up with her, “In case you didn’t realize it, Princess, the weather isn’t exactly nice down here!”

She laughed, “It’s not my fault you dipshits decided to land in Winter! What was your plan, oh mighty idiots?”

As she brushed aside the tarp, she let out an exasperated breath. The room reeked of sickness, and it was clear how sick they’d been. The others were lying around the room, weak. Harper was unconscious, and Monty didn’t look much better off. Emori was propped against the wall, breathing heavily. Raven was lying against the back wall, exhausted and out of it. Bellamy and Echo were nowhere to be seen, and for that, Clarke was grateful.

She pushed Murphy down gently, ordering him to sit. Her voice was gentler now, softer, as she slipped into doctor mode. She got to work immediately, checking them over. Her eyebrows pulled together in confusion as she worked, mentally checking off possibilities in her head.

She kneeled down by Monty, wetting a rag she’d brought with water from her bottle. He mumbled something quietly, and she couldn’t understand it. She shot him a gentle smile, apologetic as she brushed the hair back out of his face. She hadn’t liked holding him hostage, but she’d done what she had to do, and she didn’t regret it, but she didn’t like it.

Murphy was sitting next to Emori, and he held out a small bag of berries to her, “You need to eat” he said, voice soft as he talked to her. She gently reached out to take a handful, but before she could do so, Clarke crouched down next to her and stopped her.

Clarke narrowed her eyes and stared down at the handful of berries. She studied them for just a moment before letting a quiet snicker. Murphy stared up at her, but before he could speak, she did.

“Do you love Emori, Murphy?” she asked, a smile on her face as she stood back up, wiping her hands on her pants.

He stared up at her in confusion, “Yes, but what does that matter?” his voice was breathy.

“Then why are you literally poisoning her?” she laughed, pointing down to the berries in his hand, “Those are killing you idiots, and you just keep eating them!”

He glared down at the berries before turning to look at her his voice frustrated, “No they aren’t, we used to eat them all the time! They’re fine, even Emori said so!”

She smirked, “That was before Praimfaya. Stay away from them. There’s a berry thicket near the river here, in the spring it’s loaded with little black berries. They’re fine. Right now, there’s a strand of low plants near them, if you pull them up, they’re good to eat.”

Murphy let out a groan of frustration as she smirked down at them, “Thanks for the information, Princess. Any other tips?”

She shook her head, reaching into her bag and pulling out a bag of jerky and dried out fruits, “This should hold the five of you over until you’ve stopped dying” she smirked, grabbing out her medical bag and she set it on the nearby control panel.

She mixed them up a little bag of herbs from her supplies, and held it out, “You guys got a big jug of water around here or anything?” she asked, raising her eyebrow.

Murphy just nodded his head, pointing towards the storage in the front. Following his finger, Clarke quickly found the large jug of water. She dumped the packets of herbs into the jug and shook it up. She went from person to person, making sure that everyone got some of the herbed water.

She mixed up a second packet of herbs and leaned down, putting it in the pocket of Murphy’s shirt, “Drink this mix for the next week, all of you. You should be fine.”

“Thank you” Murphy mumbled, making sure that Emori continued to drink.

Clarke nodded, “See you around, Murphy.” She slung her bag over her shoulder and began to head out.

As Clarke brushed aside the tarp, she bumped into a warm body. She started to stumble, and large hands reached out to grab her arms. She froze, looking at the broad chest before lifting her gaze to meet the chocolate brown gaze.

“Hey, Princess” Bellamy’s voice was rough as he stared down at her.

 


	5. The Mistakes Go Round and Round

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the verbal sparring match begin.

Clarke stared up at him, frozen for a long moment before pulling her arm and decking him in the nose with as much force as she could muster. He let out a pained groan as his hands flew to cover his nose, cursing under his breath. She glared at him, her eyes that had been so soft when she looked at Monty had turned to glacier again.

“You fucking asshole!” Clarke’s voice was venom, and if looks could kill, Bellamy would be six feet under.

“Come on Clarke, you’re not exactly being fair here” he grumbled, pinching his nose to stop the bleeding as he stared down at her. His gaze was soft as he stared down at her, not intimidated by the terrifying glare that stared back at him.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now, Bellamy?!” her voice was incredulous and full of hate, “You fucking threatened my daughter and think you can just get away with it?”

Bellamy huffed in indignation, “Come on, you have to know I would never hurt a kid. You should know me better than that, Clarke. Besides, it’s not like you left me a choice when you tried to kill Echo.”

“Yeah, I should have known better than to trust you. That’s what I should have known better than to do, Bellamy. You’re the fucking monster who has no problem hurting kids” she spat, remembering Lovejoy’s son from mountain weather and how killing those kids had hurt him.

His eyes darkened, and he stepped forward into her, trying to use his size to intimidate her. It worked as well as it always had, and she merely stepped forward, meeting his challenge as she glared up at him.

"If I recall correctly, you pulled that lever too, Princess. Only, I stuck around to deal with the consequences, unlike you" Bellamy shot her a cruel grin, full of mockery.

"Oh? Bellamy, do you know what it's like to lose your Brother-in-law? No, of course you wouldn't, you willingly helped Pike kill Lincoln in cold blood while you sister watched. Did she ever forgive you for that?" Clarke cocked an eyebrow curiously.

Bellamy's nostrils flared, she'd definitely landed a hard blow, and she knew it from the vicious grin on her face. His hands balled into fists as he tried to reign his anger in.

"Oh? Seems you actually do know how to care about something. Amazing" she snorted.

"Damn right I do. See, I've been able to find a relationship where the other person doesn't die to get the fuck away from me. Unlike Lexa or Finn or even, what did you say his name was, Daniel?" If Clarke was going to go there, Bellamy wasn't going to hold back either.

She reared her arm back to punch him again, but Bellamy caught her fist in his hand before she could land the blow. His large hands enveloped her small fist completely, and he held her hand hostage for a long moment before throwing it down.

"You don't get to talk about Daniel, not after what Echo did. Not after what you fucking did" her voice broke as said Daniel's name.

Bellamy caught her eye as she said his name, and cursed under his breath. The pain was crystal clear in her eyes, and although she stared at him defiantly, he'd gone too far again, and he could tell it from the way she stared at him, just like he'd known it when he had grabbed Madi. She’d gone too far too, bringing up Lincoln like she did, but in their seven years in space, he’d learned to let that go and stop hating himself for it.

"Clarke, this was all an accident, it doesn't have to be this way" his voice was softer now.

"You're right, Bellamy. It didn't have to be this way, but you made it this way" her voice lowered to match his, but the anger didn't leave completely, "That could have been me she shot, or Madi. We were going to go fetch you too, but we got pulled into surgery. What if Madi had the gun and Echo killed her? Would you still stand by her then?"

He didn't answer for a long moment, "It was an accident Clarke, and you and Madi are both safe. All of the what if's in the world aren't going to change things."

She nodded slowly, "So, you'd stand by her. There was a time once that we would have had each other's backs, Bellamy. I guess those days are long gone."

"You're right, Clarke. I would have had your back once upon a time. That was seven years ago though, and that's seven years too long."

"I guess you're right, Bellamy. I hoped things would go back to the way they were when you returned. I made sure my people knew all about each of you, so you could find a home with us too."

"C'mon Clarke, let's stop this. Please, we didn't mean for any of this" his voice was gentle, soft, "We didn't mean for him to die, just call off the death sentence."

Her eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke, "Say his name, Bellamy. Who didn't Echo mean to kill?"

Bellamy didn't answer, racking his brain for the answer that continued to slip his mind. A long moment passed, and every second that went by, Clarke's face grew darker and darker.

"Thomas. His fucking name was Thomas" she snarled, her voice catching in her throat each time she said his name.

"Thomas. She didn't mean to kill Thomas, I swear, Clarke. It was just an accident" his voice was soft as he tried to placate her growing anger.

"What the fuck did you guys think was happening? The only people you thought were left in the world are in the bunker, led by your sister. You think they'd have fucking shot you?"

"Clarke -" Bellamy started to speak before Clarke cut him off.

"I don't care what you have to say, Bellamy. You killed Thomas, you threatened my daughter, and you've made your fucking choice. I'm done arguing with you."

Raven sat inside of the shuttle, fading in and out of consciousness as she listened to their fight. When Clarke spoke her last line, mental alarm bells began to go off, and she was trying to scramble to her feet when the gunshot went off, silencing the forest.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note this chapter is small but I wanted to leave a good cliffhanger since the next update won’t be up for a week. I can’t keep staying up until 2 am to write to meet my personal deadlines haha, so I want to get a few days ahead and come up with a reasonable posting schedule! No, seriously, I fell asleep writing this. Let me know if i missed some stuff haha


	6. Deaths And Reunions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who did Clarke shoot?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I know it’s been a way long time since the last chapter. In fact, I’ve put out nothing new this year. I’m so sorry! I could come up with excuses galore, but the truth is my anxiety has been kicking my ass and I haven’t been up to writing. I hope this chapter makes up for it! I’m adding a new chapter to both of my stories this week, so be sure to check them both out. I’m not holding myself to as strict of a posting schedule (aka not daily) this time around, but the goal is to write at least one chapter a week (which since I have two stories is really a chapter every other week in this one but still). Thank you if you’ve stuck with me, and I hope you guys enjoy it! Anyways, Enjoy!

Raven stumbled out of the drop ship just in time to see a wild cat hit the ground behind Bellamy, one bullet hole placed perfectly in its head. Bell was cursing loudly and clutching his ear, Clarke had lifted the gun over his shoulder when she shot, and it had temporarily deafened him.

“You should probably head inside, Bellamy. I’d hate for you to get killed by a wildcat, since you clearly can’t watch out for yourself.” Clarke’s voice was mirthful, mildly entertained by the pain she’d caused Bellamy.

Bellamy’s face turned harsh and he only managed to snarl a “Princess - “ before Raven cut him off, feebly pushing him back into their shuttle.

Raven watched quietly as Bellamy jerked away from her, and stormed inside, his ear still ringing, “That was pretty fucked up, Clarke. You didn’t need to deafen him.”

“He didn’t need to threaten Madi’s life either, but apparently he wants to play that game and I’m more than to happy to comply” was all Clarke said, as she brushed past Raven and towards the dead cat, pulling her knife from her waistband.

“You know he would never have hurt her. He was just trying to save Echo. We both know the lengths he’ll go to save one of his people” Raven’s voice was flat, honest as she spoke what they both knew was the truth.

Clarke’s face tightened at the mention of SkaiKru being his people, but she didn’t hesitate. She shed her jacket as she kneeled down next to the dead cat, revealing hundreds of little black star tattoos that littered her arms, shining against her pale skin like the night sky in reverse. She got to work carving up the cat’s dead body. 

A long moment passed before Clarke spoke, “You’re right. I do know what he would do to save his people. I just never thought that we would be on different sides, I never thought he would threaten one of my people, let alone my daughter.”

“Clarke, you know that’s not fair. You’re one of us, you always have been!” Raven protested as she took a seat on a boulder nearby. She was exhausted and weak from the illness that had been plaguing them for days.

“No, I’m not. I’m not SkaiKru, Raven” Clarke said, pausing to meet her gaze before returning to the task at hand, “I’ve been a miner now longer than I was ever one of your people.” 

“It’s not about how long you’ve been with someone that makes you one of them. You’re one of us because we fought the mountain together! We came down from the Ark together, and we managed to survive the grounders, the mountain men, we even survived the second apocalypse. That’s what makes us the same people.” Raven’s voice was passionate, hoping to win Clarke back over.

“Look, I appreciate what you’re saying, but that’s not what matters. You may try and forget it, but I am a murderer. I’ve killed hundreds of people, maybe even thousands.” Her gaze flickered down to the stars on her arms before returning to her task, “I’ve found my home among the mining crew because we all have a past like that. I’ve found my people, and they are the murderers, thieves and plain old criminals who just wanted a chance to start again, without having to be who they used to be. They’ve never thought less of me or looked at me differently, even knowing how many I've killed. They’re my people more than anyone from the Ark has ever been.” Clarke explained, glancing up to meet Raven’s gaze.

“We both know why you did what to do, no one blames you for any of that, and it was years ago. There doesn’t have to be a 'them' and an 'us', we can just be one. Just call off Echo’s death sentence, and everything can be okay again.” 

“Don’t you see the way history repeats itself? Only, this time I’m the grounder. You get to be SkaiKru again, and WonKru? Well, they’re the mountain men. I won’t forgive Echo’s death, and we won’t make a deal with SkaiKru. However, we’re not heartless. We know that you, Monty and Harper are innocent. You’re welcome to come back with me; you can lead a normal life. Fuck, we’ll even let in Emori and Murphy if they want to come as well.”

Raven shook her head as Clarke got to her feet, “Thanks but no thanks. We’re SkaiKru, through and through.”

Clarke nodded, and handed Raven one of the cat’s haunches, “Then you’ve made your choice. If you change your mind, you’ll have a place with us so long as you do us no harm. Bellamy and Echo already made their choices. Consider this cat my payment for today, and you can have that haunch in return for a favor.”

Clarke hauled the rest of the body over to the rover, loading it inside before wiping her hands clean on a towel that Liam handed her. He was waiting inside of the Rover patiently, his face unthreatening and a distinct contrast to the gun he held in his arms. Clarke grabbed a radio from the rover and headed back towards Raven.

“When you get WonKru out of the bunker, give them this. Our issue isn’t with them, and we’re willing to work with them. Show them what plants are safe, what the best areas are and help them claim territory. Our quarrel isn’t with them, so pass it along and have them radio us when they want to meet.” Clarke held the radio out to Raven who hesitated just a moment before taking it.

As Clarke began to head back to the Rover, Raven spoke once more to her, “Clarke, you know we’re not going to give Echo up to you to die.”

Clarke paused for just a moment before climbing inside, her face going grim as she responded, “I know you won’t. I just hope I don’t have to kill you too.” 

Raven didn’t speak again, only watching as Clarke drove away, leaving SkaiKru behind in their little camp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two long weeks passed since Clarke’s last meeting with SkaiKru, and she’d started to give up hope that she would ever hear from them. Winter had certainly begun, and the winter wind had a brutal chill to it, and they’d had a few small flurries of snow. It wasn’t the camp’s first winter, and they were ready for it. The smokehouse was going full speed, and the hustle and bustle of camp never slowed, even when the wind howled through the trees.

Clarke was in the med bay, taking stock of the dried herbs and making sure they’d have enough to get through when one of the younger miners, Leah, came in. Leah was a quiet girl, smart as a whip and fierce as can be when provoked. Leah was dangerous, and yet naive in so many ways. She’d been swept up in a terrorist plot and had been a willing member, only realizing what she had done when it was too late. Leah had taken a plea deal, turning on the other members of her group to avoid the death penalty, and she’d ended up in the mining colony. Now, she worked in the kitchens and did her best to help whoever, whenever.

Leah waited patiently for Clarke to finish counting before she spoke, “Scouts spotted a group on the road, they’re headed this way. They said it doesn’t look like SkaiKru; they don’t recognize any of them. The guess is that its WonKru.”

Clarke nodded, wiping off her hands as she put away the supplies, “I’ll meet them at the gate. Thank you for the heads up, Leah. I appreciate it. Have the other council members been informed?” 

“Not yet, I’m going to get them next! Liam is on patrol, but he’s on his way back. I’m sure he’ll be back in time” Leah explained.

Clarke thanked Leah, a thin smile on her face as the girl ran off to get Gellert and Kelsey. Clarke headed into her cabin, finding Madi and Sara inside with the younger kids, “We have visitors. We’ll meet with them in the dining hall if you guys want to join us, just please be careful and don’t come out until we’re all in the dining hall, I don’t want you to get hurt if it’s a trap.”

Madi nodded, and Sara smiled kindly at her, “Alright Clarke. Are you going to be okay?”

Clarke paused for a moment before she let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. She’d began to fear that no one from WonKru had survived, and now she was about to find out who she had left. No one had radioed her, so she had no way of knowing what was coming. “I’ll be fine, but the sooner the details are figured out, the better.”

The sun was high in the sky, and a crisp breeze was in the air as Clarke headed to the gate, waiting patiently as the other council members joined the welcoming party. Liam was the last to arrive, sliding up next to her as WonKru came around the bend, and they laid eyes on them for the first time.

Clarke’s gaze scanned the group, eager and searching as they grew closer and she began to recognize the faces in front of her. Abby. Octavia. Indra. Kane. Miller. Seeing her loved ones for the first time in years, she wanted nothing more than to run to them and hug them, but that wasn’t her place, not anymore. She was a leader now, and these were her people. She settled for studying their faces, trying to see how they’d changed. Abby, Indra, and Kane had more wrinkles now than when she'd last seen them. Octavia’s face was just as hard as ever, but maybe more peaceful, her hair up in tight braids still. As Miller had aged, he’d begun to look more and more like his father.

“Hello WonKru, welcome. My name is Gellert, and this is our camp. We’re glad to see you, but I must admit, we’d expected to set up a meeting with you over the radio first, as would only be polite” his voice was polite, but there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that he was admonishing them for what he saw as rude behavior. 

Octavia stepped forward first, “My apologies Gellert. After SkaiKru’s meeting here, we thought it would be better to arrive unexpectedly.” her voice was flat, matching his.

“So long as you don’t plan on killing any of our people, that shouldn’t be a concern” Kelsey’s voice was harsh. She’d always hated the game of politics, especially feigning niceties when their tones said otherwise. 

Liam let out a deep sigh, muttering under his breath to Kelsey about how it wouldn’t kill her to shut up or be nice for five minutes. Clarke shot a glare at the two of them, moving a balled up fist to cover her mouth in exasperation. She opened her mouth, an admonishment clear on her tongue before she caught herself, turning instead to face WonKru, “It’s good to see you all again.”

Abby looked around at the camp which had come to a standstill at their arrival, before smiling widely at Clarke, “I’m glad you survived.” The older woman swept her up into a tight hug, Liam tensing up for a moment before settling back down.

“Thanks, Mom. I’m glad to see you survived as well. When I never heard from you guys, well, I figured you were probably dead” Clarke admitted, hugging her tightly before turning to face Octavia. “As much as we wish we’d had advance warning of this meeting, I’m glad to see you. I hope that we can quickly come to an agreement that works for everyone. If it’s alright with you, I’d like to get down to business.” 

Octavia nodded, but before she could speak, Kane interrupted. “I’d love to see the camp, Clarke. It seems like you guys have a wonderful setup, perhaps you could give us a few pointers!” 

“I’m sorry, but that is not going to be happening at this point. If you follow us to the dining hall, we’ll be more than happy to come up with an agreement that works for everyone.” Liam spoke this time. Liam had taken over the role of camp security after Thomas’ death, and he was taking it seriously.

Octavia’s eyes narrowed at the slight, “That seems fair. Hopefully, we can work this out.”

“After us, please.” Gellert began to lead the group into the dining hall, while Clarke hung back slightly, falling into step behind SkaiKru and next to Miller.

“I’m glad to see you made it safely. I missed you. How’s everyone else?” she shot him a small smile.

“We’re good, the first two years were tough, but we managed to figure it all out. Octavia’s taken to being a leader like a duck to water seems they finally found something she’s good at” his voice was playful as he spoke about her, and he turned to meet Clarke’s gaze, “We were worried about you, about all of you. We didn’t know if any of you had made it.”

Her smile faltered at the mention of the others, but she met his gaze, “We almost didn’t. I had to send them up without me, and I didn’t think I would make it. It was tough down here alone, but then I found Madi, and then the miners came down, and I found my people.”

He grinned, “Yeah, I hear you met your people. In fact, someone tried to tell me you had kids of your own but that can’t be true of course, not our rebel princess.”

Clarke laughed quietly, “I do, I have four kids total, two adopted and two biological. I would say they’re the only thing that’s kept me sane, but the truth is they’re probably the number one reason I’m insane.”

“I’d love to meet your kids sometime, never imagined we’d see the day you settled down!” 

She nodded, her smile soft as they entered the dining hall, “I’d like that.” WonKru and the council took their spots at the higher table, while the rest of the miners filed in, taking a seat at the tables or standing in the back, waiting to hear what would be said.

“This meeting would be better served in private.” Indra’s voice was harsh as she looked over the assembled crowd.

“Too bad that’s not how we work. If you want to have a meeting with us, you get a meeting with all of us. Everyone here has the right to hear what we’re offering and what we expect, unlike other groups, we don’t believe in back door deals or misleading our people.” Kelsey spoke, her voice even more prickly than usual for her, staring pointedly at Abby and Kane, before glaring at Indra.

“Understood. Then let’s see what we can figure out, sounds good?” Octavia said, shooting a quick look at Indra to tell her to settle down before turning to look at Gellert and Clarke. 

“The fact of the matter is that we want a fair deal. We’re willing to help you through the winter, and when spring comes, we’ll help you figure out how to build homes. We’ll tell you what plants you should stay away from and what ones are safe now, we’ll even tell you where to find the best hunting. We want to help each other out; we don’t want a war. Some of us died trying to free you from your bunker; I’d hate for their deaths to be in vain” Gellert’s voice was fair, meeting Octavia’s gaze.

“And what’s in it for you?” Kane’s voice was cautious, intrigued, “Because this is sounding like it’s good for us. What do you want?”

Clarke turned to him, “Kane, it’s simple. We want to be able to trade. Engineering knowledge from you in exchange for survival knowledge from us. Once you’re established, we can even trade whatever we make. I’d also love for our younger generation to meet people other than our own camp someday.”

“What’s the catch?” Indra asked, studying Clarke’s face as she spoke. 

Clarke smiled, “You’re right Indra, there is a catch. You don’t ally with SkaiKru. We have sentenced Echo to death, and it’s my right to claim it since she killed my brother-in-law. Don’t interfere with that” Clarke turned to Octavia, “Your brother threatened my daughter’s life, and held a gun to her. Although I want nothing more than his death, he didn’t kill anyone, and so we don’t have a death sentence for him. In exchange for this deal, I’ll spare his life. I won’t hunt him down like the dog he is. I’ll settle for another appropriate punishment that you and I can work out, locking him up or something fair and equivalent.”

WonKru was silent for a long moment, Abby’s face was bleak as she studied Clarke. Octavia opened her mouth to speak, but a piercing scream broke the silence first. WonKru began to look around, the sound putting them on edge, and Clarke just sighed in defeat.

“One meeting, just one fucking meeting” she muttered to herself before getting to her feet, “Excuse me for just a moment.” she shot a quick smile to the council before walking to the back of the room where Sara sat with Madi and the younger kids.

Jas was bawling now, his little fists clenched up tight, and his eyes screwed shut. Clarke reached down, scooping him up and he immediately went quiet, grinning up at his mom. Sara and Madi’s bodies racked with silent laughter as Jasper interrupted yet another meeting. He had never managed to sit through a single meeting without crying unless he was in his mother’s arms and the center of everything. 

Clarke glared at Sara playfully, returning to the front with the happy little boy held on her hip. As she approached the council table, she turned to Octavia apologetically, “I’m sorry, but he won’t stop screaming unless he’s in my lap. Do you mind?” 

The scene seemed to crack the tenseness of the meeting finally, and Octavia grinned, “Of course not. Hearing you’ve got kids and seeing it is another matter!”

With a grateful smile, Clarke retook her seat, setting Jasper on her lap, “This one is my little demon. I don’t know if you have kids or want them or whatever, but don’t ever name them after two of the most energetic people you know. This is Jasper Murphy Griffin, but we just call him Jas, and he seems to be convinced that he needs to be like a nightmare fusion of the two of them” she laughed.

Miller burst out laughing as Jasper looked around the table curiously, “Sounds to me like you asked for this then!”

“Yeah yeah, it’s my fault I know. I definitely should have thought his name through! Anyways, let’s get back to business before Wells gets jealous” Clarke’s voice was soft, sweet. Jasper’s innocent presence reminding her that she wasn’t Wanheda, and she wasn’t at war. His smiling face was a constant reminder that she could let her walls down, and she didn’t have to constantly fight.

Abby hadn’t taken her eyes off of Clarke since she’d walked back over with Jas in her arms. Now she stared at her grandson; her expression was awestruck as she stared down at her grandson. She didn’t even stir as Octavia began to speak again.

“That does sound like a fair deal Clarke, and I appreciate your willingness to spare Bellamy’s life. However, I need to talk to the rest of my council before I make a decision, I’m sure you can appreciate that. For clarification, if Echo’s sentence is carried out, are we then free to welcome SkaiKru into our fold?” Octavia asked.

The bang of a boot slamming onto the wooden floor echoed throughout the dining hall, drawing everyone’s attention and finally getting Abby to look away. Gellert got to his feet, turning to look at one of the miners who had climbed to his feet, “Yes, Neal? What is your objection?”

The man, Neal, faced the council, his voice ringing out among the hall as he spoke, “If they don’t deny SkaiKru now, they might as well be declaring war. We’ve all heard the stories, and we know how they play the game. They need to make a decision.” 

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the assembled miners, and Gellert silenced them with the simple raise of a hand, “We’ll put it to a vote, but allow Clarke to speak first.”

Clarke stood again, placing Jas on her hip once more, “Neal, I understand your concern. They do need to make a decision, and I agree they need to make one fast, but they do need to discuss it with the rest of their group. They came here without their entire council in case we chose to attack, which I understand, although it does stop them from being able to make a decision. How about if we impose a time limit?” 

Neal thought for a moment, “How long?” 

“How about by sunset tomorrow? That gives them time to get back, discuss and get us an answer?” Clarke negotiated.

“That leaves us very little time Clarke, surely you can be fairer than that. It’s a few hours walk back here from the bunker.” Miller protested.

“That’s what the radio is for, Miller. You’ll be home this evening and can radio us by sunset tomorrow with your answer. If there is no answer, we’ll take that as our answer” Clarke turned to look out over her people, “Is that fair with everyone?”

Quiet calls of “Agreed” came out, and the crowd nodded as Clarke took her seat once more, “There. Octavia, you’ll have until tomorrow at sunset to radio us with your answer. To answer your questions, you’re free to welcome them in once Echo, and Bellamy’s sentences have been carried out, whatever you and I decide Bellamy’s sentence to be.”

Octavia studied Clarke’s face for a moment, “Agreed. Thank you, Clarke.”

“Then I’ll consider this meeting adjourned, and we’ll all clear out to give you guys a chance to catch up. I’m sure Clarke can’t wait to talk to you guys unofficially.” Gellert said, smiling and getting to his feet. 

Gellert and Kelsey headed out of the dining hall after polite goodbyes, followed by all of the miners and leaving behind WonKru, Clarke, Sara, Madi, the kids, and Liam. Clarke got to her feet, passing Jas to Liam, and headed to the back of the hall where Sara sat, and after a moment’s conversation, Sara left as well. Clarke picked up little Olive, and Madi grabbed Wells’ hand, leading them up to the meeting table area. When they returned, WonKru was talking amongst themselves, and Liam was awkwardly trying to join in.

Liam set Jas on the ground, and Jas toddled over to his twin as they approached, bringing a gentle smile to the faces of those around them. Clarke bounced little Olive, before turning to Liam, “You can go too. They’re not going to try anything.”

Liam shot her a quick glare, but she merely rolled her eyes, “Seriously Liam, even they draw the line at hurting kids, and I’m pretty sure their grandma will even protect them. Go.” Indra shot her an offended glare as Liam finally retreated, leaving behind only Clarke’s family and WonKru. 

Madi approached the council table, “So, you’re the infamous other Blake” her voice was curious as she began to talk to Octavia. She was fearless in her home, and she’d heard tales of this brave woman and was excited to meet her finally. 

While Madi spoke to Octavia and even Indra, Clarke turned to the others, “Since that one has refused to learn her manners, that’s my eldest daughter Madi.” Madi didn’t even register Clarke’s speaking and kept grilling Octavia about her past and her fighting abilities. Rolling her eyes, Clarke looked down at the little girl in her arms, “This is Olivia, but we just call her Olive. Her parents died in an accident as we tried to clear the rubble from the bunker. You’ve met Jas now, and that only leaves his twin, Wells Blake.” 

Abby smiled softly, leaning down to greet the two young twins. Kane and Abby kneeled on the ground, playing with them and getting to know Abby’s grandsons. Clarke watched on with a gentle smile before turning to Miller, “It really is good to see you guys again… I was beginning to doubt anyone was even alive down there.”

Miller nodded, “Yeah, we wanted to come out but we couldn’t. A couple of years ago some kids got into the control room and spilled their drinks on the panel. Completely fried our computer. They managed to fix it, but it did a complete password reset, and none of us knew the password of course. Every time we tried to guess a password, it locked us out for 24 hours. Tried to hack around it, ended up locked out for a month, so we kept trying a different password every day. If we’d had Raven or Monty, we probably could have got it sooner, but we did what we could until they got us out. Thanks for clearing the rubble by the way.”

“Of course, I wasn’t going to just leave you guys trapped down there. I may not be WonKru, but you happened to have a lot of my family down there so I had to get you out if I could” her voice was soft as she responded.

The next hour passed as they learned about each other once again. Clarke learned that Kane and Abby had been married years before, and she’d congratulated them both. Clarke told them all about Daniel, and Madi regaled WonKru with stories of their attempts at survival following Praimfaya. 

Finally, Clarke turned to Octavia with a sad smile, “You guys should go. You need to make it back to the bunker before the sun sets, or you’ll have to face some predators. Unfortunately, you won’t be allowed to spend the night here until we come to some sort of agreement so I will be forced to kick you out and I’d rather not do it at dark.”

As the group said their goodbyes and wandered out of the dining hall, Clarke rolled her eyes at the sight of Liam leaning against the outside wall. “Dammit Liam, if you’re going to creep you’re at least going to be useful” she muttered, handing him the twins whom she had balanced one on each hip. 

Liam grinned, “Come on Clarke, did ya really think I’d leave you alone?” 

“You better get out of my face before I take the boys away and then remind you why I don’t have to have a partner when I leave camp” she growled, her voice playful as he wandered away with the kids.

When they reached the gate, Madi finally pulled back away from Octavia and Indra; her eyes lit up with ideas of future training that she hoped for. Turning to the others, Madi said her goodbyes and walked off carrying Olive as she headed off after Liam back to the dining hall. 

 

After saying goodbye, Indra, Octavia, Kane, and Miller moved outside of the gate to give Abby and Clarke some privacy.

Clarke wrapped her mother up in a tight hug, holding her for a long moment before releasing her. “I missed you so much” Clarke murmured, tears threatening to spill out as she finally allowed herself to relax.

“I missed you too” Abby’s voice was soft as she reached out to brush one of Clarke’s long hairs behind her ear, “I’m so proud of you, Clarke. You’ve become the woman you were always meant to be.” Clarke’s answering smile was radiant, with only a hint of sadness showing.

“I want us to work this out soon; I want you to get to know my kids. I mean, you are their Grandma” Clarke laughed quietly, happily.

“I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to be a Grandma, but even then I never expected four grandkids!” Abby chuckled, “And I will find a way to be a part of your lives, no matter what happens next.”

“Thanks mom…. It’s getting late; you guys have to go” Clarke said, staring up at the sun in the sky.

Abby grabbed Clarke in another tight hug before joining WonKru. Clarke watched quietly at WonKru left, guiltily realizing that she had no desire to go back with. She’d been serious when she said these were her people now, but it hadn’t hit her until now just how accurate it was. The gates to camp swung shut as WonKru disappeared around the bend, leaving Clarke alone again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This really felt clunky to write, so I hope you guys like it. Sorry, I don’t have a beta to help me polish this up so any mistakes are all mine of course. Anyways, thanks for reading this and I really hope you enjoyed it!

**Author's Note:**

> All mistakes are mine, I have no beta reader so, oops?
> 
> Only the OC characters and settings belong to me, everything else belongs to their rightful owners.
> 
> The song I think of as Bellamy and Clarke's relationship since Chapter 3 is: Which To Bury: Us Or The Hatchet by Relient K


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